Man allegedly bludgeoned his grandparents to death with a baseball bat.
SOMERVILLE -- Ezra Simon-Daniels, who has been charged with murder in the deaths of his grandparents, is undergoing a psychological evaluation, his attorney said Friday during an initial disposition conference in Somerset County Superior Court.
Daniels, 20, of Branchburg, allegedly bludgeoned his grandparents to death with an aluminum baseball bat on Feb. 13 while they were lying in bed. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killings of Louis Simon, 78, and Beatrice Simon, 65, in the Branchburg home they shared with their grandson.
Hours following the alleged murders, Simon-Daniels was arrested after making a 911 call at approximately 5:57 a.m. from the parking lot of a Hunterdon County WalMart.
Readington Township police found Simon-Daniels in the driver's seat of a vehicle covered in blood. He was wearing a T-shirt and shorts, but no shoes, despite freezing temperatures, authorities said.
Simon-Daniels, who is being held on $2 million bail, appeared relaxed as he entered the courtroom handcuffed Friday and slumped down as he sat in the defendant's chair beside his attorney, Todd Hess. He looked into the gallery at his mother, Eva Simon, and smiled.
Assistant prosecutor Robert Hawkes told the court that the state has completed discovery, but is waiting to address the psychological issues surrounding the case. He said he hasn't offered Simon-Daniels a plea deal because he wants to get the results of further psychological examinations before making an offer.
8 major crimes in Somerset County
Hess said Dr. Howard Gilman, a Ridgewood-based psychiatrist, has examined Simon-Daniels once in the jail and wants to evaluate him again.
"Dr. Gilman is intrigued by the case and wants to see Ezra in the jail again," said Hess.
As State Superior Court Judge Robert B. Reed and the attorneys discussed the next court date and the complexities of the case, Eva Simon became upset when Reed suggested a Dec. 9 hearing date in an effort to expedite moving the case forward.
"I think there's a lot more involved than just the time frame on the calendar," Eva Simon told Reed from the gallery. "You want us to talk about this at the dinner table on Thanksgiving minus a couple of people."
Simon, who was tearful while speaking to Reed, was referring to her parents and son.
Reed explained to Simon that he understood her pain, but he was keeping the Dec. 9 date. He set Dec. 31 as the final date for discovery and the psychological examinations of Simon-Daniels.
Eva Simon declined to speak to the media.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.